1. زارَ وَصِبغُ الظَلامِ قَد نَصَلا

    بَدرٌ جَلا الشَمسَ في الظَلامِ أَلا

    He visited when the dye of darkness had faded,

    a full moon that unveiled the sun in darkness—behold!

  2. جاءَ وَسِجفُ الظَلامِ

    قَد فُتِقا فَاِعجَبَ

    He came while the veil of darkness

    had been torn open—so marvel!

  3. وَالصِبحُ لَم يُبقِ

    في الدُجى رَمَقا

    and dawn had not left

    a breath of life in the gloom.

  4. وَقَد جَلا نورُ وَجهِهِ

    الغَسَقا

    And the light of his face had dispelled

    the dusk,

  5. وَأَدهَمُ اللَيلِ مِنهُ قَد جَفَلا

    وَقَد أَتى رائِدُ الصَباحِ عَلى

    and night's black steed had bolted from him.

    And morning's herald had arrived upon

  6. أَفديهِ بَدراً في

    قالِبِ البِشَرِ أَشهَب

    I would ransom him—a full moon in

    a human form—a gray steed.

  7. قَد جاءَ في حُسنِهِ

    عَلى قَدَرِ

    He had come in his beauty

    in due measure.

  8. يَرتَعُ في رَوضِ

    خَدِّهِ نَظَري

    Grazing in the meadow

    of his cheek is my gaze.

  9. خَدٌّ بِلُطفِ النَعيمِ قَد صُقِلا

    كَأَنَّهُ مِن دَمي إِذا خَجَلا

    A cheek polished by the softness of luxury,

    as though it were of my blood when he blushes.

  10. يا مَن غَدا ظِلُّ

    حُسنِهِ حَرَماً يُخضَب

    O you, the shade

    of whose beauty became a sanctuary—it is dyed.

  11. لَمّا حَوى ما بِهِ

    الجَمالُ حَمى

    Since he possessed that with which

    Beauty kept guard:

  12. فَرعاً وَصُدغاً إِن

    حُكِّما ظَلَما

    tresses and a temple-curl, if

    made judges, both would act unjustly.

  13. فَأَرقَمُ الجَعدَ تَحرُسُ الكَفَلا

    وَحارِسُ الحَدِّ مِنهُ قَد جُعِلا

    So the speckled serpent of his curls guards his hips,

    and the guardian of his boundary has been made

  14. هَلّا تَعَلَّمتَ بَذلَ

    وُدِّكَ لي عَقرَب

    Why have you not learned to bestow

    your affection on me—a scorpion—

  15. مِنَ المَليكِ المُؤَيَّدِ

    اِبنِ عَلِيّ

    from King al-Mu’ayyad,

    son of Ali,

  16. سُلطانِ عَصرٍ مُسَمّى

    عَلى الوَلي

    sultan of an age, named

    after the saint?

  17. لَولا أَيادٍ بِها الوَرى شَمَلا

    لَأَصبَحَ الناسُ كَالسَماءِ بِلا

    Were it not for favors with which he embraced mankind,

    people would become like the sky without

  18. مَلكٌ مَعانيهِ

    لِلوَرى حَرَمُ كَوكَب

    A king whose qualities

    are a sanctuary for mankind—a star.

  19. إِلى مَعاليهِ

    يَنتَهي الكَرَمُ

    In his exalted virtues

    generosity finds its culmination.

  20. قَد أَغرَقَ الناسَ

    سَيلُهُ العَرِمُ

    Mankind has been drowned

    by his raging torrent.

  21. سَحابُ جودٍ عَلى الوَرى هَطَلا

    لا بَرقُهُ مُبطِئُ النَوالِ وَلا

    A cloud of bounty has poured upon mankind;

    its lightning is neither slow to bestow nor

  22. حَماةُ أَصبَحتِ

    لِلأَنامِ حِمى خُلَّب

    Hama, you have become

    a refuge for mankind—rainless lightning.

  23. حَوَيتِ مَلكاً عَلى

    المُلوكِ سَما

    You have embraced a king who above

    the kings has risen,

  24. بَحراً غَدا بِالعُلومِ

    مُلتَطِما

    an ocean that has grown, with learning,

    tempestuous.

  25. مَلكٌ لِرِزقِ الأَنامِ قَد كَفَلا

    فَصارَ في الناسِ جودُهُ مَثَلا

    A king who has guaranteed mankind's sustenance,

    so his generosity has become a byword among people.

  26. يا مَن عَطاهُ قَبلَ

    السُؤالِ بَدا

    O you whose bounty, before

    the asking, appeared,

  27. وَمَن حَبانا قَبلَ

    النِدا بِنَدى

    and you who favored us before

    the call, with bounty,

  28. هَيهاتَ يُنسى

    صَنيعُكُم أَبَدا

    Never to be forgotten

    is your kindness, ever.

  29. عَبدٌ عَلى فَرِطِ حُبِّكُم جُبِلا

    عَلَيكُمُ إِن قامَ أَو رَحَلا

    A servant, fashioned with boundless love for you,

    upon you, whether he stays or departs.